Roy Estate Settles Lawsuit Against Helen Turley

Date: 06/05/06

Soda Canyon Road-based vineyard-winery now moves ahead with first releases

Press Release, Napa, California, June 2006---Charles and Shirley Roy, owners of Roy Estate, a 17-acre vineyard on Soda Canyon Road in the heart of the Napa Valley, are happy to announce the settlement of their lawsuit with Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer in Napa County Superior Court on May 31. The terms of the settlement are confidential.

From early 2001 until March 2005 Helen Turley and her husband John Wetlaufer designed the Roys ' vineyard and Turley made Roy Estate's 2003 and 2004 vintages. Subsequently the Roys hired Philippe Melka in April of 2005 and regard him as a "blessing." Melka finished and blended the 2004 vintage and made the blends which will be released for sale in 2007. Check for updates about the wines at www.royestate.com.

In 1999 Charles and Shirley Roy fell in love with this property nestled in the foothills of the Vaca Mountains on the eastern flank of the Napa Valley , where the contours of the land slope amongst scrub oaks and olive trees. The property is literally its own charming, sheltered mini-valley and in fact this was once a campsite for a Wappo Indian tribe.

The Roys also farm and produce California Olive Oil Council-certified extra virgin olive oil from the olive trees on their estate, which have won gold medals from the Los Angeles County Fair in the past several years.

Relatively speaking, the Roys are newcomers to Napa Valley and describe it as "paradise." In 1999 Charles Roy joined the Board of The Napa Valley Opera House and spearheaded the design and construction of the building's restoration. The Roys are also significant donors to COPIA: The American Center for Food, Wine and the Arts in Napa.